Google reportedly exposed private data from hundreds of thousands of Google+ users and then chose not to inform those affected by the breach. The Wall Street Journal reports that sources close to the matter claim the decision to keep the exposure under wraps was made among fears of regulatory scrutiny. Google is said to have discovered and fixed the issue in March of this year...

According to the Wall Street Journal's sources as well as documents reviewed by the publication, a software vulnerability gave outside developers access to private Google+ user data between 2015 and 2018. And in internal memo noted that while there wasn't any evidence of misuse, there wasn't a way to know that for sure. Exposed data included names, email addresses, birth dates, gender, profile photos, places lived, occupation and relationship status..."

Following a massive data breach first reported on by The Wall Street Journal, Google announced today that it is shutting down its social network Google+ for consumers. The company finally admitted that Google+ never received the broad adoption or engagement with users that it had hoped for. In light of these newly revealed security concerns with Google+'s API, the company has opted to put it out of its misery rather than try and fix the bug that caused the data leak..."

It was only a matter of time—the same day that Google announced it was shutting down Google+ in the wake of a data leak, two users filed a proposed class-action lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco, saying that their privacy had been violated.

Johannes Caspar, data protection commissioner in Hamburg, Germany, said his agency has started investigating the matter, that could have exposed the personal data of as many as half a million users.

Caspar, one of Europe’s most outspoken privacy officials, said that at this stage he had no insights into the case, or information from Google. Ireland’s privacy authority, which may become the tech giant’s main regulator in Europe in the future, said it “will be seeking information on these issues from Google."Minimal Fines
Because Google’s data lapse happened in March, it may still fall under the old system, where fines for even the most serious violations are relatively small.

Republican senators have written to Google CEO Sundar Pichai demanding to know why the company was reportedly slow to disclose a software flaw in its Google+ social network partly out of fear of drawing attention from regulators.

“Google must be more forthcoming with the public and lawmakers if the company is to maintain or regain the trust of the users of its services,” states the Oct. 11 letter from Sens. John Thune, S.D., Jerry Moran, Kan., and Roger Wicker, Miss. Thune chairs the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

The lawmakers also asked Pichai if the company disclosed the software flaw to any federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission. “Are there similar incidents which have not been publicly disclosed?” the senators wrote.

Another of their questions is whether users of free Google users should get the same level of support following data privacy and security incidents as subscribers to the company’s paid “G Suite” tools.

By Eduard Kovacs on October 12, 2018
Google discovered the bug in March 2018, but waited until now to disclose it, which has raised a lot of questions. The Wall Street Journal reported that Google executives decided not to notify users earlier due to concerns it would attract the attention of regulators and draw comparisons to the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal that hit Facebook.

At present, the anti-social-social-network is on death row, with a chair date of August 2019. The framework of Google+ will remain for GSuite users who wish to build private or internal networks of a Yammer-come-Sharepoint nature.

So far 31,000 have signed the petition, each with a story of how they know its absolute bobbins but they go there anyway.

After discovering another security issue potentially impacting 52.5 million users, Google today announced that the consumer version of Google+ will be shutting down four months sooner: in April 2019 instead of August 2019.
Furthermore, Google will shut down all Google+ APIs within the next 90 days.

“While we recognize there are implications for developers, we want to ensure the protection of our users,” said David Thacker, G suite vice president of product.Google+ API bug
Google wants to emphasize that the bug was introduced, detected, and fixed all within a period of one week. Specifically, the bug was introduced on November 7 and fixed on November 13 as part of the company’s “standard and ongoing testing procedures.”

The lawsuit was announced yesterday on the website of the Rhode Island government.
ERSRI officials accuse Google of intentionally misleading shareholders and federal regulators by failing to disclose its Google+ data leaks in due time.

Altought filed this week, after the second Google+ API leak, the lawsuit cites both Google+ API incidents.

"Google had an obligation to tell its users and investors that private information wasn't being protected," said Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner.
"This is an unconscionable violation of public trust by Google, and we are seeking financial restitution on behalf of the Rhode Island pension fund and other investors," Magaziner said.